


Sick of It

by DeeNomilk



Series: Tashok the Dragonborn [9]
Category: Elder Scrolls, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: everyone is sick, ok not everyone but a few people, what is even tagging
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-13
Updated: 2019-04-13
Packaged: 2020-01-12 12:00:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,178
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18446132
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DeeNomilk/pseuds/DeeNomilk
Summary: Tashok was just getting back from her quest to retrieve the stolen books, and was looking forward to some relaxation, well, as much as she can muster that is. Of course, things never do go the way we want them to.





	Sick of It

**Author's Note:**

> I know the title is cheesy I'm equally bad with titles as I am with tagging.

Tashok approaches the bridge connecting the College to the rest of Winterhold with tired legs. She doesn’t regret the detour she made by any means… She met an adorable Khajiit child living with a hunter, made a new friend in Morthal, one that can help her with Conjuration at that, all while she managed to bring back a fair amount of ingredients to perfect her potion-making.

Now all Tashok wants to do, however, is throw herself onto her bed and let Pearl crawl on her chest so she can run her fingers through his soft fur, listening to him purring while she closes her eyes and thinks about nothing.Surely she’s worked hard enough to warrant a small break…

Then she’ll be able to go to Windhelm, sell the potions she made before she left for Fellglow Keep and get see Sofie again. Tashok smiles at the thought… she had become quite fond of the child. Such a gentle, yet lively one...

The trio’s scarcely stepped into the courtyard when they see Colette, followed by Nirya and Tolfdir rushing out of the Hall of Attainment, arms laden with various medical supplies.

Colette catches sight of them from the corner of her vision.

“Oh thank goodness you’re back!” Colette yells out in relief. “We ran through your whole supply of health and rehabilitation potions!”

“What?!” Tashok gapes.

“Don’t worry, we’ll restock you for everything we took.” Tolfdir assures her.

“But, why?” Tashok frowns in concern.

“Ugh, that awful Thalmor got sick almost a week ago…” Colette whines as she rolls her eyes. “I told him to let me get it out of his system before it got worse but did he listen? Does anyone ever listen to me? Of course not! No one ever values restoration!”

Colette almost drops the cold packs she was carrying as she throws her arms up angrily.

“Now I’ve got five more people who came down with the same thing! Even with my expertise the sheer amount of people to look after is ridiculous…I’m completely spread thin!”

“Hence why we’re also helping out.” Nirya points out.

“Oh, well, I uh…” Tashok’s eyes dart around as she thinks.

“You told me you wanted to get better at Restoration magic, now’s your chance!” Colette says.

“I’ll make more potions with what I have, and then I’ll help out with the care.” Tashok suggests.

“Then hurry up! The sooner we can get rid of this awful fever the better.”

Tashok follows them as they bolt into the Hall of Countenance before disappearing into Sergius’ room. She rushes up the stairs and into the Alchemy room.

Colette had not been exaggerating when she told Tashok they’d drained all her healing potions; the shelves that usually contained them were bare, while all the other types of potions hadn’t been touched. Tashok opens up one of her boxes of ingredients and sighs when she sees that she has more than enough with her new supply to create a fair amount of potions.

“Do you need any help?” Lucien asks as she hurriedly takes out her ingredients.

Tashok turns to him and stares for a moment until his words register.

“Actually…” she rubs her hand over her face. “I’m sorry to ask, but do you think you can bring some coin to Sofie?”

“I wouldn’t offer if I minded, no need to apologize.” Lucien says.

She bends down and pulls out a pouch from the side of her packsack and counts some coins under her breath before standing up to hand him the pouch.

“There’s about a hundred and fifty septims in here…” she tells him. “Give her a hundred and use the rest for food and travel, alright?”

“Right…” Lucien tucks the pouch away. “But until I leave, is there anything I can do to help you?”

“Um….” Tashok doesn’t know what to ask.

She’s accustomed to being expected to perform perfectly, and on her own.

“Why don’t you let me know as we go?” Lucien offers, sensing her uncertainty.

She gives him a grateful smile and nods before turning to the table.

A few hours later Tashok steps out from Ancano’s room and is hit with the immediate temperature difference - while the College managed to stay at a relatively dry and warm temperature, the room was cool and damp. It reminded her of the awful ship she had taken to voyage to Skyrim.

While Colette hadn’t told her to check up on Ancano, she ended up in the room nonetheless. She had been busy bringing potions for Brelyna and Enthir, all while Lucien brought the rest to Colette when Pearl dashed between her legs, practically screeching until Tashok followed him into Ancano’s room, which was unfortunately locked at first. She had banged on the door for a few minutes… No response. She asked around for a key… Only some shrugs and noncommittal maybes… All the while Pearl was whining at her to just get on with it, open it!

Once inside, she’d been startled by just how awful the man looked. Blood left her face when she rested the back on her hand on his forehead and felt the temperature. This prompted her to run back and forth to get more supplies for him while she split the few potions she had to spare to ensure he'd be getting some as well.

She leaves a small crack open, both not to trap Pearl, who'd decided he would sleep there for now, and to let fresh air seep into the room.

Tashok buries her face into her hands and sighs. The strain of being bent over a table and then over her feverish colleagues is beginning to make itself known in her lower back.

“You should rest, you know.” Onmund’s voice causes her to look up. “Lucien’s already gone to bed.”

“I can’t…” she groans. “I think I should try and get some heat back into Ancano’s room, speed up the recovery and all…How’s Brelyna?”

“Fell asleep again, but definitely better than before…" a pause. "Look, there’s only so much you can do tonight.”

“But I could be doing more… I’m starting to run low on ingredients already, I should head out to Birna’s tomorrow morning.”

“Well it won’t be open until eight and there’s nothing left to do, so now’s the best time to rest.”

Onmund gently pushes Tashok towards her room.

“But Colette wants me to…” she starts to protest.

“Colette will have to deal with it.” Onmund cuts her off gently. “I promised Brelyna I’d make sure you rested and I’m not about to disappoint a bed-ridden friend.”

“Really?” Tashok blinks at him, then glances at Brelyna’s closed door.

“Yes, we all know you work too hard.”

“There’s no such thing.”

“Okay, I can’t tell if you’re being serious or not and I’m kind of worried to ask.”

Tashok lets out a tired chuckle before yawning.

“Guess I won’t tell then.” she smirks sleepily.

—

“You look more tired than usual.” Birna notes as she hands Tashok a bag full of ingredients.

“A bunch of my colleagues got some sort of fever…” Tashok rubs her eyes and takes the bag. “Thanks.”

Tashok would usually stay for idle conversation, but duty calls. She waves the shopkeeper goodbye as she opens backs towards the door, coming face to face with Orthorn when she turns around.

“Oh, you made it!” she smiles at him.

“It’s you!” his eyes widen.

“Be careful at the College; our colleagues are down with something fierce.”

“Yeah, I uh, I noticed…”

His gaze falls to the ground as he rubs the back of his head.

“You already went?” Tashok tilts her head. “If you’re here for potions or ingredients, I beat you to it.”

She lifts her bag up.

“If the two of you are going to exchange life stories would you do it with the door closed?” Birna grumbles at them from behind the counter.

“Sorry!” both of them stammer in unison before stepping into the shop.

“So what were you here for?” Tashok continues the conversation.

“I was hoping I could sell off some of my things…” Orthorn sighs. “For some coin, you know?”

“Saving up for something?”

“Well, yes. I need a way to pay for my room at the inn.”

Tashok starts and blinks bewilderment.

“The _inn_?!” she quirks an eyebrow. “Why not your room at the College?”

“I, uh…” Orthorn glances to the side, frowning

“Oh…” Tashok’s ears peel back when realization hits her. “I’m sorry… Are you sure there’s nothing you can do? I can try and convince Aren! I could tell him about how you helped me!”

“No…” Orthorn lifts his hand up. “I, uh… It’s better this way. I don’t think I can ever make up for my mistake… Well, Urag suggested I pay a blood price and I’m pretty sure he wasn’t joking.”

“Blood pri- oh! Mh… You know what I don’t know either. He’s kind of hard to read.”

“And terrifying.”

Tashok tries to suppress a snicker before looking back at Orthorn.

“Well, if you decide to come back, I’ll vouch for you.” she assures him.

The Altmer jolts in surprise, his cheeks reddening. He blinks down at Tashok for a few moments, his mouth agape.

“Really?” he asks.

“Of course.” Tashok shrugs. “If you ask me, everyone deserves a second chance.”

The two of them share a short period of understanding silence before Tashok remembers her colleagues.

“I need to go…” she excuses herself. “People to cure and all…”

“Right.” Orthorn seemingly also remembers why he came to the shop.

Tashok’s hand is on the handle when he calls out to her.

“Tashok, right?” he asks.

“Yeah?” she turns to him.

“Thank you.”

She nods at him with a sympathetic smile before heading off into the cold. Once at the College she goes straight for the Alchemy room to create more potions. She methodically cuts up and grinds the ingredients, taking a few seconds to stretch after every five potion or so. She starts to feel her energy and whatever bit of focus she had waning.

That won’t do.

She leans down and takes one of her stamina boosting potions and chugs it in a single gulp.

Soon she has a shoulder bag full of potions clinking at each step she takes. Without thinking she leaps over the centre opening and down onto the main level of the hall, landing into the pool of magical energy.

“By the gods!” Faralda gasps. “What are you-“

“I’ve got the potions!” Tashok hands her one potion after the other. “Gotta go take care of the others, bye!”

She stops in Brelyna’s room first and beams when she sees her awake.

“Hey! I brought you some potions!” Tashok puts a few potions on the nightstand next to her, before noticing the almost empty cup. “Need more water?”

“I can go get it…” Brelyna rasps out weakly, her face flushed and glistening with sweat.

“Are you kidding me? It looks like it hurts just to keep your eyes open! I’ve gotta go upstairs for Enthir anyways, I’ll bring down some more water.”

Tashok flicks her wrist and casts a cleansing spell over her friend. The sweat on Brelyna’s face disappears and a refreshing breath of air settles around her.

“Thanks…” Brelyna’s eyes flutter shut as she leans onto her pillow.

“Drink up and sleep, my dear.” Tashok lets her hand linger on Brelyna’s shoulder for a moment, giving her one brush of her thumb before exiting.

Tashok notes Enthir’s glass was completely empty, as she drops off his share of the potions.

“Am I gonna have to pay you for this?” Enthir laments laboriously, his typically hazelnut skin tinted with a greenish hue. “Maybe we can work something out?”

“Enthir, I’m never trading with you again.” Tashok tells him flatly. “And no, you just focus on getting better.”

“I can’t believe that Thalmor got me sick… Me!” Enthir laments. “I’m a Bosmer… This is just embarrassing.”

“Mhm…” Tashok tunes him out while she fills up his cup.

“…I’m definitely charging him twice my usual fees…” he continues on.

“That’ll teach him…” Tashok replies absentmindedly. “I’ll be sure to let him know once he starts being cognizant again.”

“What do you mean?”

“When I checked up on him yesterday he woke up be but he was definitely… uh, not all there. Talking nonsense and all.”

“Serves him right.” she hears Enthir mutter as she heads out.

She decides to repeat her little shortcut and swings down into the second floor from the centre opening.

“J’Zargo needs to try that once he gets the opportunity!” J’zargo comments as she lands.

“It’s really time effective!” Tashok tells him.

“And looks ridiculous, but what does that matter anyways?”

Tashok shoots him an amused grin and butts the door to Ancano’s room open, immediately noting the newfound warmth of the room. She glances about and notices multiple lit candles as well as a rolled up towel placed upon the window sill.

“Mmrrp?” Pearl lifts his previously tucked head at the noise.

“Hey baby…” Tashok whispers as she extends a hand to her pet. “Keeping our local spy company?”

“Prrt.” the curled up cat lifts his chin to receive some much wanted scratches.

Tashok takes the opportunity to redo the bow on Pearl’s bandana before looking at the sick Altmer and sending a wave of cleansing magic in his direction. She notes what seems to be a homemade cold pack sitting on his forehead.

Colette must’ve made an extra one and passed by…

Tashok sets a clean cup on the nightstand and empties the jug of water into it before setting it aside in favour of pulling out the potions and setting them down.

“Wha’s that…” the slurred words startle Tashok.

“Dah! You’re awake! Like, awake-awake!” she turns to Ancano.

Ancano’s grimace hides none of his confused frustration. He still appears dazed, but at the very least conscious.

“You were talking all garbled and weird yesterday.” Tashok explains.

Ancano’s face freezes in barely contained horror. Clarity seems to have returned to him at record speeds.

“But that means you’re better now!” Tashok tries to ease his concern.

The Thalmor doesn’t seem to be listening to her as he scans his surroundings and brings his hand to the pack on his forehead, pulling it off and staring at it with a perplexed frown. His eyes finally fall back to Tashok, who wordlessly picked up the cat that had been keeping him company.

“How… how long was I… like this?” he asks, dreading the answer.

“I dunno…” Tashok answers sheepishly before giving the cat a kiss on the head. “I got back yesterday.”

Ancano groans. Just his luck.

He’s been unconscious and feverish for who knows how long, must've missed at least two reports and the one person who could _possibly_ help him is an air headed apprentice.

“How… long were, you… gone?” he stretches out his words in the hopes she would be able to follow his question, and while he won’t admit it, because his dry mouth won’t move any faster.

Tashok looks up and purses her lips and she mouths the days of the week.

“Exactly a week.” she nods to herself with pride.

Good, only one report missed then…

“What were you worried about?” Tashok asks.

Ancano mentally curses himself for being so transparent in front of the girl. She may be dense, but he shouldn’t be letting anyone see his state of mind.

“Nothing… of importance, to you.” he spits out before being shaken by a coughing fit.

“Oh, well, alright…” she looks visibly stricken. “I left some potions for you on there. ”

She nods in the nightstands’s direction.

It’s at this moment that Onmund enters the room and sees the two mages wide awake.

“Oh, morning you two…” he greets them and looks at Pearl, still nestled in Tashok’s arms. “You too, Pearl.”

“Is everyone… just going to be barging… into my room?” Ancano clenches his fists in indignation and recoils at the weakness he feels upon doing so.

“That’s what you get for getting half the College sick.” Onmund strides to the bed and takes the cold pack. “I’m also here to fill this back up with snow. You’re welcome, by the way.”

“I didn’t need any of your… help. Especially not from two mere _apprentices_." he manages to put enough venom in the title that it sound like a curse. "I’m quite, ugh… capable of caring for myself.”

“Sure…” Tashok rolls her eyes. “That’s why you were speaking gibberish with a fever that’d turn ice to steam. Also who locks their door when they’re sick?!”

The Thalmor sends daggers towards Tashok, who simply gives him a smug look.

“Oh well. Whatever it is you have, I’m sure you’ll beat it now that we’re helping out.” she shrugs. “In the meantime, I’ll let you keep Pearl. Goodness knows if I don’t he’ll just scream at me to let him in anyways.”

“So you’re… the one who snuck in the cat. I’m quite surprised, you’re… hardly subtle.” Ancano huffs. “Good luck smoothing out that one… with the Archmage…”

“Well, I didn’t really _sneak_ him in I- wait. What?!”

“The cat.You can’t just… keep a pet in here…”

“Why not?” Onmund asks. “There’s no rule against it.”

“The Archmage, seemed quite, against the idea when I… suggested it.” Ancano sneers as he crosses his arms over his chest.

Cold dread spreads through Tashok.

“What if I really aren’t supposed to?” her ears flick backwards. “When I came in and Mirabelle didn’t say anything I thought that meant I was allowed… What if I get in trouble?!”

The thought of breaking one of the College’s rules, even an unwritten, unspoken one fills Tashok with apprehension. She holds Pearl closer to her chest and tries to ignore the building nausea. It wouldn't do to puke here, now.

“You won’t get in trouble.” Onmund states while glowering at Ancano.

“You think so?” she tilts her head up to him, hopeful.

“I know so. You don’t have to worry about anything.”

“Okay…” Tashok sighs, her shoulders still tense, but her worries eased. “Well, I’ve got to go and bring Urag the books I recovered from Fellglow Keep… We found one that’s might actually point us in the right direction regarding The Eye. Ancano, you should try and rearrange the room when you’re better — it’s got terrible air circulation. I suspect the cold and the dampness is what did you in.”

Mention of the Eye of Magnus peaks Ancano’s interest, but the young Orc is out the door before he can open his mouth to ask her to elaborate.He starts to grit his teeth in frustration, but quickly stops when he feels a headache building up from it.

It figures… The one time he _actually_ wants to hear the Orc blabber on, and she practically runs away from him, _and_ he’s too weak and dizzy to chase after her.

Wait.

How in the world did she get into his room in the first place?

**Author's Note:**

> This also took forever to post bc I spent a solid week just, proof-reading it bc it felt a bit empty and disorganized.


End file.
